Not-So-Subtle
by LongclawBusterSword
Summary: Written for day 5 of Clerith Week (theme: "not so subtle"). Set during Costa Del Sol.


He hadn't planned on spotting her like this. He had planned on just aimlessly walking about the coastal resort, trying his best to not lose his mind while his companions insisted on taking the day to relax. He made it to a part of the beach where a few palm trees offered him the perfect shade... and then his eyes saw her. A vision of ivory, pink, and red against that bright blue ocean. He watched her with a held breath as she made a slow walk down the beach. Her auburn hair was glistening in fiery shades underneath the sun's warmth, and her long braid swayed back and forth like a flower blowing in the wind. The short, three layered skirt she had on was airy and shier, and with every breeze it danced off of her body and Cloud felt his knees going weak. It dawned on him how hard he had been staring and he managed to look away for a moment, but he couldn't keep his eyes off of her for very long and again his eyes found her. She was showing more skin than ever before, but even now, there was a modest look to her outfit of choice. A short skirt with a bandeau top. Feminine and demure, and so alluring to the man. It was unlike him to ogle the way he was, embarassing even, and yet here he stood... Willfully lost in the heady enchantment she had unknowingly cast upon him.

Attraction soon turned into curiosity as he watched her kneel into the sand, her attention locked on something by her feet. Subconsciously, he leaned against one of the palm trees as he started to relax, and with a raised brow, watched her cup something in her hands. Whatever it was, she brought close to her face—so close, it was as if she was intending to nuzzle whatever it was she had found. Cloud focused his gaze, then saw it. Resting in her petite hands was a little red crab. A breathy chuckle, almost a murmur, escaped Cloud as he smiled at the sight, knowing the significance of what he was seeing. All her life she had only known the cramped, concrete wasteland that was Midgar. It was so easy for him to not be in awe of every little thing around him, but for her... every thing was brand new. The sky, the trees, the different species of flowers and animals... everything in the world meant so much to her and up until very recently, it was all kept from her. She was a prisoner to Midgar's gloomy solitude, and now she was free to experience the whole world. He was moved by her curiosity and amazement for every detail in the world. There was so much she hadn't yet seen, and he wanted to be the one to show her everything.

His gaze continued to follow her as she gently placed the little crab back onto the sandy ground as another breeze swept by her, and Cloud caught his breath at the sight of the wind playing in her hair. It took only a few seconds for the blonde to realize how intensely he had been staring at the flower girl again. His neck cramped from how quickly he turned his head and averted his gaze, pretending to look at anything else. But it was so very hard to not look just _one_ more time...

"You know, Spikey." came a husky voice.

Cloud couldn't help but jump at the sudden voice. He turned to see Barret standing just a few feet away. A smirk was on his face. Barret waltzed over to where Cloud stood and leaned against the tree with his good hand and repeated what he had said after Cloud failed to respond.

"I said..._ 'You know,'_ "

The blonde sighed and looked away. "What." his reply was rhetorical and terse as he managed to keep his eyes off the cetra, hoping that the man hadn't caught him staring at her.

"If you took a damn picture, it'd last longer."

As the sentence left Barret's mouth, thunderous laughter erupted soon after. Cloud snapped his head around to give a irritated stare, but Barret was already racing up the wooden stairs that lead away from the beach. Cloud rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. There was no way Barret was going to ever let him forget about this, and Cloud mentally kicked himself for letting this happen.

Then, a quick shutter sound interrupted his thoughts. He followed the noise until his eyes fell upon Aerith once more. She was holding a camera aimed in his direction. She snapped a few pictures more, then moved the camera away from her face. A pretty smile was playing on her pink lips as she waved at the bodyguard, motioning for him to come to where she was. All that irritation he had from Barret's comment had vanished the moment he saw her. Cloud struggled to hide the smile that was quickly spreading on his face. He threw her a nod to acknowledge her request, hoping to play it cool. But inside he was melting.

_The End_

* * *

A/N: BAM! This is short, but I really love how it turned out. This was for Day 5 of Clerith Week, the theme was "Not-So-Subtle". Thanks for reading, and if you don't mind, please comment and tell me your thoughts, even if it's short. The comments mean a lot.


End file.
